The present invention relates to a roller carrier adapted for the support of movable live and dead loads. The invention is particularly suited to the provision of a carrier useful in conjunction with a storage or display apparatus employed in the retailing of goods wherein display structures are provided which are vertically extended and horizontally reciprocable.
The concept of providing roller carriers capable of supporting various loads particularly through horizontal movement is well-known. A wide variation in the structure and application for such roller carriers has developed to suit the large number of end uses to which some structures have been applied. Thus, roller carriers have been employed in such dissimilar areas as overhead suspension systems employed in industry and roller tracks employed in desk drawers and the like. Recently, a further adaptation of the roller carrier has developed which has particular value in the display and merchandising of goods in retail establishments. Specifically, a storage and display apparatus has been developed which comprises a series of parallel, planar vertically extending display members or supports, each individually adapted for horizontal reciprocation in and out of a generally rectangular framework or enclosure whereby goods displayed thereon may be scrutinized apart from other goods displayed on like parallel members. This particular concept is best illustrated in conjunction with a particular roller carrier in U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,086 to de Bruyn. The structure illustrated therein comprises a generally rectangular framework supporting a plurality of vertically extending channel members each supported on individual roller carriers for reciprocation into and out of the framework whereby access is gained to products displayed thereon. The roller carrier employed in de Bruyn employs a plurality of free rolling roller members located in four roller tracks arranged in parallel stacked relationship to each other.
Attempts to employ the de Bruyn roller track in connection with the disclosed display apparatus have resulted in numerous failures which were investigated and found to result from inherent design weaknesses. Specifically, the tracks appear to undergo excessive deflection under load with resultant binding and the like which prevented their extended use with loads of any appreciable amount. It was determined to be desirable to develop a roller carrier which would provide a constant balanced support under load in all positions of extension of the display member.